1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to packaging, and more particularly to packages for encasing and displaying postage stamps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of vending machines for storing and dispensing postage stamps have been developed. In some machines, rolls of perforated stamps are stored inside the machine. Depositing the correct coins into the machine causes an electrically operated feed mechanism to automatically unwind the desired roll and expel the correct number of stamps through a slot. The customer grips the exposed stamps and tears them along the appropriate perforations. While satisfactory in many respects, such machines are bulky and very expensive and thus are limited to use at high volume central locations such as post office lobbies.
Manually operated stamp vending machines are also known. Such machines are relatively small and are commonly placed on the counters of retail stores. Alternately, the manual vending machines may be supported on free standing posts and placed on the floor of a store. After depositing the correct coins, the customer pushes a lever on the machine to expel one or more stamps. The stamps are normally enclosed between two thin paperboard covers, which are discarded. Usually a number of such machines are owned by a vendor and placed at different retail locations. The machine vendor travels between the locations to service the machines on a more or less regular basis to replenish the stamp supply and collect the coins.
Although in widespread use, the manually operated stamp vending machines possess certain disadvantages. Normally only the machine vendor has access to the interior of the machine. Consequently, the retail store owner cannot replenish an empty machine but must wait for the vendor. Another disadvantage is that the machine occupies an undesirably large amount of valuable store space. Theft of the coins and even of the entire machine is a possibility. A major disadvantage is that the vendor must mark up the price of the stamps considerably in order to pay for purchasing and servicing the machines and to make a reasonable profit. The high mark up results in customer resistance to purchasing the stamps. Finally, the machines require exact coins for operation, which are often not at hand and inconvenient to obtain.
Thus, a need exists for improvements in the manner of making postage stamps available to the public.